Misfortunate Trials
by DGrayManFanatic
Summary: To the village of Gantrik, Allen Walker was a bringer of misfortune. The villagers had sent him to live alone on the outskirts of town, believing he'd attract all their own miseries. Will the new red-headed resident bring hope into the boy's dismal life?
1. Chapter 1

Hi there! So this is my very first fanfic I've ever written, so it probably won't be that good. I don't know why, but the idea just came to me while doing some history homework (which makes no sense because the story and my homework are in no way related to each other whatsoever). I've been wanting to write a fic for a while now, especially one revolving around Lavi and Allen. This story is based off of the "Village Where the Witch Lives" episodes of D. Gray-Man. I just hope it's good! Oh, and the actual story should begin in the next chapter. This is just like a flashback kind of chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own DGM in any way, shape, or form. If I did, it wouldn't be as awesomely epic as it already is, seeing as how uncreative I am.

Summary: To the village of Gantrik, Allen Walker was a bringer of misfortune with the mark of the devil carved upon his face. Now he is the bearer of misfortune as the villagers had sent him to live alone in the old cabin on the outskirts of town, believing that all miseries of their lives would be directed towards the boy. However, will the new, red-headed resident be able to bring some hope into the boy's dismal life?

* * *

Misfortune

The word was not unfamiliar to the boy. Hell, that word describes the bulk of his life. Misfortune followed everywhere he went. It was the extra heaviness on his shoulders, always there, waiting to just take its toll on the poor boy, which was _all the time._ A day didn't go by where he felt that weight lifted off his shoulders. Day to day, he waited expectantly, anxiously, for what Misfortune would bring upon him, knowing all too well that he couldn't escape its grasp. He's had it for so long, and he knew that it was now a part of him, no matter how much he wanted otherwise. Misfortunate was definitely a way to describe his life.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

**Cold**. It's the first thing he thinks of when he wakes to the chilling, morning air, his dirty and ragged clothing only acting as a thin second skin to protect himself from the lack of heat. **Dark**. The sun has barely risen for it is early morning, and he knows to pick himself up from where he has been hiding to get a start on moving before the activities of where ever he is takes place. He's **fearful**. He starts to wander, aggressive and fearless look on his face, but deep down, he wants to give into the fear that eats him up when facing the real world. With this fear, however, it contradicts with the one thing he's really only ever wanted. A friend. Someone always by his side who could reassure him that everything would be all right in the end, said with a confidence as if saying that the sun would always rise in the morning. A reason to keep living and putting up with Misfortune.

That brings him to his next thought: **Loneliness**. He was alone in the world, and has been for as long as he can remember. He had no parents. Who knows what happened to them. But who cares? They aren't with him now and that's that. He wouldn't allow himself to trust another human being, no matter how much he wanted to. Whether they looked at him with disgust or pity, he didn't care. They were all the same to him anyway, and he learned the hard way. He was always left alone in the end, beaten. Left feeling contempt towards that damned left arm of his. "I should've known," he would think to himself, staring at that wine-red flesh he'd never get accustomed with. "_They're all the same."_

So, he just gets on with life, fully aware of the fact that this is just how it is, no matter how much it sucks. Dying was definitely not an option any more, though, no matter how tempting it could be at times. He wouldn't die, whether by his own hand or by another. He _wanted _to live. Crazy, right? He often found himself thinking, "What is there to live for?" And that was true. He had nothing. But he ignored that fact. He wanted to believe that he could find something to live for, something worthwhile to keep moving for. So with that fact in mind, he lives. He follows a path he sets for himself, and he doesn't give up. However, just as he feels about ready to give into that darkness that surrounds him, he finds a shred of hope at the end of that forever-extending path.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"_Excuse me young lad. Might I ask why you are sleeping outside on this cold morning?"_

_A boy of around seven years of age lazily began to open his eyes to the source of the voice that awoke him. At first, all he could see was a black blob amidst the white of the area, but as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he could clearly see that there was a man leaning over him. Suddenly aware of the situation, the boy quickly stood up, only to trip over his own feet and fall face-first onto the surrounding snow._

"_You know, someone would think you a headless corpse with that hair of yours blending with the snow," the man joked, chuckling lightly. Said boy sat up, rubbing the snow off his scowling face with his left hand, only to jerk it away and place it hidden behind his back. He then looked up from his spot on the ground to take in the sight of the man before him._

_The first thing he noticed was that the man was tall, seeming to tower over his own small figure. He was in a not-too-formal faded black suit and black pants, and adorned on his head was a top hat. Under that top hat, he had black hair and a kind-looking face. He was also holding a good-sized suitcase at his side. He seemed to be a traveler._

"_Need some help there lad?" the man asked, extending his left arm out to the boy. He looked up at the man suspiciously before extending his own right arm out to be pulled up, keeping his uncovered left arm hidden behind his back._

"…_.Thanks," he muttered silently, keeping his eyes focused on the mushy ground below._

"_Is there something wrong with your left arm there? Is it injured?" The man slowly reached out to grab the boy's arm, but the seven year-old jumped back, fear threatening to overcome his stoic demeanor. _

"_Th-there's nothing wrong. You wouldn't want to look at it."_

_The man skeptically looked at the younger one in front of him before kneeling and reaching out again. "It's okay. I just want to take a look at it to make sure. Don't worry."_

_The boy finally looked up at the man and saw his reassuring smile. He felt somewhat at ease, and hesitantly brought his left arm out, shutting his eyes tight, bracing himself for the reaction to come. "_They're all the same." _He clearly didn't expect the next words that came out of the traveler's mouth._

"_Hmmmm, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. That's good." The boy looked up, confusion written across his face. He was surprised at the man's calm response. This was definitely something he wasn't used to. He then pulled his arm away, and looked up with anger in his eyes._

"_What do you mean there's nothing wrong! It's the arm of a monster! A demon! How can you be so calm?" Tears threatened to pour down his face, but he wouldn't let them. He couldn't show any weakness to the stranger in front of him. But as he looked at the elder's face, he could see a warm and understanding smile as the traveler once again reached for his arm._

"_I don't see anything wrong," he stated smoothly, smile still on his face. "It's an arm, with skin, an elbow, and a hand attached with five fingers." He emphasized his statement by putting his own palm against the boy's. "See?"_

_With that said, the child blinked at the sight before him, two hands pressed together, and let loose his tears, unable to contain them. He cried not out of fear, nor out of sadness, but because of internal relief and happiness. Never before had he ever felt so human, so much like the child he was._

"_There there young one," the traveler said, comforting the crying boy. After a few moments, the seven year old began to calm down to the point of just small hiccups. "Now, my name is Mana. Mana Walker. May I ask what yours is?" _

_The boy looked up to the once-again smiling face before replying with disdain in his voice. "I don't have one. Never did."_

"_Well that won't do? Can I have the honor of naming you then?"_

"…_..Do as you wish."_

"_Well, how about Allen? Do you like that name?"_

"_A-Allen?"_

"_Yes, that was the name of my dog that has recently passed away. What do you think?"_

"_Heh, you're naming me after a dog? How lowly." He replied, crossing his arms with a returning scowl on his face._

_Mana smiled at the cross boy before elaborating. "Allen was my most special friend, and I believe the name would be perfect for you."_

_The boy, now named Allen, began to feel a hint of happiness again, receiving a special name like that. He was happy about receiving a name in general, a label other than "monster" or "demon". A small smile came across his face that didn't go unnoticed by Mana._

"_Well then, Allen, I take it that you have nowhere to go from here then?" Mana implied. "How would you like to come with me then? I'm a traveler, as you can see, and I have been getting very lonely as of late. And you look like someone who could use a companion." He stood and offered his hand once again to Allen, but Allen just sat there, shocked by the offer. He lingered for a few seconds before pulling his arm back._

"_I'll be taking my leave then. Follow if you wish." And with that said, Mana turned after giving another smile, and began to slowly walk the other way._

_Allen continued to sit there, staring at the retreating man's back, a million things going through his mind. However, one thought seemed to make itself known: "Can I trust him?" Could he, a boy who had grown hating and fearing humans, trust a stranger he'd just met; a stranger who, for the first time, made him feel like an actual human being? He had felt so at ease, so safe, under the man's short watch. Allen then stood up, anticipating his next move._

_Mana continued to walk, without turning his back. Another smile graced his face as he heard the sound of soft footsteps follow after him. _

_

* * *

_

Please review and tell me how I can improve! I'd like to make it appealing to the readers.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! So here's chapter 2! Yay! I would've had it up earlier, but summer homework took me longer than I thought today. But I was determined to get a start on the story, so I did it. With any luck, I'll probably have a new chapter every 1 to 2 days hopefully. I want to finish this story before August, since I'm busy that month and would probably end up losing interest or forgetting about this. So I'm hoping that I can have a decent story finished by the end of this month. It'll be hard though. I've thought up ideas for later chapters, but I have no idea how to end it. It should come to me though as I proceed (hopefully). Well, enough of my rambling. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own –man in any way, shape or form.

**Special thanks**: I'd like to thank Desperatembrace, dragonheart3, BlindBeyondSight, and moonray9 for being my first reviewers ever! To me, it felt like a hug from each of you! And thanks to everyone who read/alerted/favorite this story too! It makes me feel very happy

Allen Walker awoke to the feeling of something dripping on his face from above. He slowly began to open his eyes, slightly annoyed by the fact that he was woken from his dreamless slumber, only to have another drop land in his eye.

"Ah!" He jerked up to an upright position and began to rub his eye, quickly surveying the area around his bed. He noticed how his pillow and sheets were slightly damp, so he looked up to find the cause of the problem. He saw that there were two areas on the roof where rainwater from the previous night was seeping through. He sighed and got out of bed to grab a bowl and a bucket for the raindrops so that they wouldn't further damage his only sleeping area.

"Maybe they'll be generous enough to let me have an extra set of sheets today," he hoped to himself. After temporarily fixing the problem, he grabbed a towel from one of his bedside drawers and walked out the door to outside. He turned around to examine his cabin to check for any other damages the rain could have caused. Besides, it wasn't in the best shape to begin with. It was pretty small, but big enough to house one person comfortably. It had a flat roof, two windows, a single door, and walls that didn't seem to be too sturdy. It looked as if it wouldn't be able to handle the forces of nature, but thankfully, for Allen's sake, it did. It _was _his home.

"Well, it looks like all I have to do is fix the roof a little bit. Other than that, it seems fine," he said, glad that it only took minimal damage. He began to walk towards the small stream that ran in front of his house and kneeled by the edge. He looked down at his reflection to see a 15 year-old boy with white hair, silvery-blue eyes, and a scar that ran down his left eye with the shape of a star on top staring back at him. He continued to stare for a few seconds longer before cupping his hands in the water to wash his face. After doing so, he stood and took in the sight around him.

Since he wasn't that deep in the forest, there weren't a suffocating amount of trees, but there were enough to somewhat cover the area around his cabin. They were glimmering under the morning sun, along with the flowers and stream that had decorated his "front yard." It was a pretty peaceful place to live, along with being secluded. He was located just on the outskirts of town, close enough to not have to make a long journey to get to the village, but far enough to where he couldn't even see it unless he was completely out of the forest. He didn't mind though. He had his reasons for being so far out. He deeply inhaled the after-rain scent and smiled, remembering how much he loved the rain.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"_What do you think of the rain, Allen?"_

_A nine year-old boy looked up to the taller man before answering. "I hate it. It's cold, wet, and you can't get anything done." _

_He and Mana were standing under a giant tree that completely kept them from getting wet. They had expected to be sleeping outside for that night, but didn't expect that it would rain._

"_Now, now. Hate is a strong word. I'm sure I've been teaching you better," Mana said, wagging his finger in front of the boy's face. Allen just crossed his arms, and with an angry face, he replied, "Fine. I _strongly dislike _the rain."_

_Mana chuckled lightly. He noticed that it was getting dark, and that Allen had begun slightly shivering due to the cold. _

"_Well, I don't find it to be that bad. In fact, I love the rain." _

"_Oh y-yeah? W-why's that?" Allen asked through chattering teeth._

"_Well, there are lots of reasons why I love it, but do you want to know my favorite reason?"_

"_W-what?"_

_Mana began to sit cross-legged by the base of the tree, beckoning for Allen to sit on his lap. Allen gave him a questioning look before hesitantly complying. As he did so, he looked up to Mana's smiling face before feeling a pair of strong arms wrapping around his body, bringing him closer to Mana's chest._

"_Ma….Mana?"_

"_My favorite reason is knowing that I can provide warmth to loved ones who need it."_

_Allen sat silently, not knowing how to reply. Instead, he began to cuddle closer to Mana, enjoying the warmth he was receiving, and he closed his eyes. Mana began to stroke Allen's back, pulling him a little closer. It wasn't long until they both fell asleep to the sound of the noisily pouring rain._

_~.~.~.~.~.~.~._

Allen smiled at the memory before grabbing his towel and walking back towards the cabin. He hung the wet cloth on the clothesline he had set up for himself and went inside. He looked at the almost-unreadable calendar on the wall to check for the date.

"Oh, it's Friday today! I should go pick up my things soon before they possibly change their minds."

He quickly changed into an attire of a white dress shirt, gray vest, black pants, and a red ribbon tied around his neck. He only wore these when he went out to the village in an attempt to at least look nice. However, it was getting a tad small, but luckily for him, he was small for his age. He didn't seem like he would be growing much soon anyway, so it would last for awhile. He tossed his previous clothes on the bed and grabbed a piece of bread to eat. "_I'll clean a little when I get back,"_ he thought to himself, looking around the somewhat messy room.

Allen once again walked out of his cabin. He started on his way to the village, only to be stopped by a sight of white he caught at the corner of his eye. He turned and saw fully-bloomed white flowers just by the stream.

"_Those are perfect,"_ he thought smiling, walking over to them to pick them out of the ground. He observed them closely before walking in a different direction.

Pretty soon, what looked like a grave came up in Allen's line of vision. He kneeled in front of a stone in the ground that signified that it was indeed a grave.

"I hope you like these," Allen said softly, placing the white flowers on the ground in front of him, "Mana."

He smiled and reached his left hand out to smooth the dirt away from the roughly carved name of "Mana Walker" on the stone. As he did so, he noticed the wine-red flesh that was his arm and jerked it back.

"Oh yeah. Almost forgot." He reached into his back pocket to pull out a pair of white gloves. He slipped them on, stood up, and walked back towards the village.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Jeez Gramps, why do you gotta live in the middle of nowhere?"

A red-headed seventeen year-old was slowly trudging his way towards the village of Gantrik, where his grandpa resided. After the recent death of his dad, his gramps was the only relative that would take him in before he was old enough to go off on his own.

"Let's see…." He looked down at his map and scratched his head. "It should be just up ahead."

Looking up, he could see in the distance what looked like a village. "Ah! There it is!" He quickened his pace so he could get there faster. Even though it wasn't his choice of an ideal living area, he was just too damn tired, so he thought it better than nothing.

Yay! Lavi appears! I _was_ going to put Lavi and Allen's meeting in this chapter, but I decided to stop here so it didn't end up being too long. It'll also help my next chapter be written faster. Hugs, I mean, reviews please! I'd love to hear your thoughts and how I can improve! I accept constructed criticism!


	3. Chapter 3

So here's chapter 3 of Misfortunate Trials! I'm on a roll! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own –Man in any way, shape, or form

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

After what seemed like forever to him, even though it was only about ten minutes, Lavi finally arrived at Gantrik.

"The old man could've at least told me where _exactly_ he lived," Lavi said, looking around the village of identical-looking buildings. "Damn Panda."

Lavi continued to walk around, relying on luck to find his new home. He then started to hear a commotion taking place, so he turned to the source of the noise. He saw what looked like an angry mob of six men crowding around something and yelling.

"You dare ask for more!"

"Be glad that you get stuff anyway!"

"Just go back where you belong!"

Upon closer inspection, Lavi could see that they were around a child, beating him and yelling at him. He could hear the whimpers of pain from the boy, and started to get angry. Just as one of the men was about to land another punch, Lavi ran in and kicked the guy's arm, standing protectively in front of the kid.

"Ow! What the hell!" The man cradled his arm against his chest and glared daggers at him.

"What do you think you're doing? Leave the poor kid alone! He couldn't have done anything _that_ bad!" Lavi continued staring the men down before he felt someone pulling on his pant leg.

"I-It's okay. It's my fault. I-I shouldn't have asked for extra sheets." Lavi looked down behind him at the kid on the ground who was giving a pained smile. He had some scratches and cuts, but the injuries didn't look too bad. He was a strange looking guy, with pure-white hair and a gnarly-looking scar running over his left eye. He also seemed to be small for his age, which Lavi guessed to be around 14. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the boy spoke again. "I-it's my fault…."

"Damn straight!"

Lavi glared back at the man who spoke, a feeling of wanting to punch the guy rising within him. Still, it was only his first day there and he didn't want to do anything drastic.

"Don't you think you've done enough? Just leave before I do something we're both gonna regret," Lavi said as calmly as he possibly could. And with that, the men parted ways, angrily muttering and cursing. He sighed, letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding and turned around to help the kid up, but to his surprise, no one was behind him.

"_He must've ran off when I wasn't looking_," Lavi thought, putting his hands in his pockets and continuing his search for his grandpa's house. "_I wonder what that was all about._"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Allen was now in the forest walking towards his home, slightly limping and holding on to the bags of necessities that would last him for the week. He felt bad for leaving the red-head without giving his thanks, but he didn't want him to get into any trouble on his account.

As soon as he arrived at the cabin, he grabbed the towel he left drying on the clothesline and walked towards the stream. He set the bags down and dipped the towel in the cool water so he could clean his injuries. They weren't too bad, the worst being the slight sprain on his ankle after he had first been pushed down by the men. After he finished, he grabbed his things and walked inside so he could bandage himself up. He looked at himself in the mirror on the wall and sighed.

"Looks like I have to fix these clothes again." He took them off before getting some bandages to wrap up his cuts and his ankle. When he was done, he put on the clothes he had left on the bed earlier that day since they were loose-fitting and wouldn't irritate his wounds as much.

"I should've known better than to ask for more when they're already forced to give me these things for free," he sadly said to himself, turning his head.

Looking out his window, he could see that it was still early afternoon, but the events of the day had left him pretty tired. Walking over to his bed, he lay down, shivering due to the fact that the sheets were still slightly damp.

"Just have to endure it for today. I'll clean tomorrow." And with that, he closed his eyes, but his thoughts kept on going to the red-haired boy from earlier. Allen had never seen such red hair before, along with an eye as emerald-green as his. His right eye was covered by an eye-patch though. He was somewhat curious as to what happened.

"_He must be new here. No one here would ever stand up for me like that." _Allen turned on his side to face the wall. "_He'll change when he finds out about me though. They always do."_

He began to feel sleep overcome him, despite that fact that it was still early.

"_Still…..it was nice…to be protected like that." _He fell asleep with a small smile on his face.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

To his luck, Lavi was able to find his new home. All he had to do was ask someone where the guy that looked like a panda lived, and he got directions right away. He was now standing in front of a building that looked identical to the ones around it.

"_Let's just hope I'll remember where this is_," he thought to himself, taking a quick mental note of the area so he'd be able to return if he ever left the house. He walked up and started to knock on the door. He waited, but no one answered, so he started to knock a little louder.

"Gramps! Hey Gramps!" He continually knocked on the door, pounding a little harder.

"Hey! It's me! Lavi! Open up!" He stopped, but no one was answering the door. He started to get frustrated and kicked at the door.

"YO PANDA!" And with that, the door immediately opened, slamming into him and causing him to fall backwards.

"You're late, idiot grandson!"

Lavi jumped back up to his feet, rubbing his now-injured nose. "That hurt! Why didn't you open up earlier!"

"I did not hear you."

Lavi clenched his fists and walked inside muttering, "Damn Panda."

As soon as he was inside, he sat down on the nearest couch and stretched out his body, relieved that he could finally rest.

"Hey, Gramps?"

"Make it quick. I'm busy."

"Yeah yeah. Just wondering, is this normally a violent town?"

The older man looked back at him with stern eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, it's just that earlier, there were these people beating up some poor kid on the streets."

"Is that so? What did the kid look like?"

"Hmmmm, he was pretty strange-looking, with white hair and a weird scar on his face."

The old man sat down on a chair opposite of Lavi before replying. "Ah. That is Allen Walker. Do not worry yourself over him. It's not like they would kill him."

"I don't know. They seemed pretty serious," Lavi said, leaning over and resting his arms on his legs.

"Let me rephrase that. They would like to kill him, but they cannot."

"Huh? Whaddya mean?" Lavi asked, both confused and interested.

"Do not bother yourself with that boy. If you want to find out more, ask the villagers or the kid himself. Now, quit being lazy and get up. I have some things I need you to do for me."

"What! I just get here and you're already giving me chores! That's cold!" Lavi exclaimed, only to get smacked in the head.

"Be quiet! You are living in my house under my rules. Here's what I need you to do around the house." The old man handed a less-than-enthusiastic Lavi a long list of things needed to be done.

"Fine, fine," he replied scowling.

"Good. And when you're done with those, I need you to go to the forest just outside of town to pick up a few things for me." He handed Lavi another list.

"You sure do know how to make someone feel at home, you damn Panda," Lavi said, mumbling the last part, but it didn't go unnoticed by the older man and he got smacked in the head again."

"Ow!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Yay! Lavi saves Allen! Teehee~ And Bookman appears! And what might Lavi find when he goes into the forest? Hmmmmmm? Reviews please and I'll give you virtual cupcakes since I've run out of virtual cookie dough :D


	4. Chapter 4

Hello there! So here's chapter 4 of Misfortunate Trials! Sorry it was late for those of you who were actually waiting for the next chapter. Just getting busy with lots of summer homework, and the chapter just didn't seem to come out right, but this is the best I could do. So I hope you enjoy!

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

When Allen woke up, a glance out the window told him that it was late evening. He lay for a few more minutes, just staring up at the ceiling.

"At least it didn't rain," he muttered to himself. "I still need to fix the roof."

Now that he was wide awake, he didn't feel like sleeping at all, so he decided to go outside for a little bit. He sat up in bed, still a little drowsy, and walked out the front door. The breeze felt nice, so he sat down by the stream to enjoy it.

The scenery was beautiful that night. The moon, which was almost full, seemed bigger and brighter as he looked up. The many stars that could be seen in the clear sky around it seemed to join its illumination on the world below. The sounds of the water in the stream and the leaves of the trees were soothing as the wind blew through. He leaned back on his hands and smiled, closing his eyes.

Even though life wasn't perfect, Allen was satisfied. One thing that he was unknowingly searching for was peace, which was what he received on nights like these in a forest like this. There was only one other place where he had felt so much at ease, and that was in Mana's arms.

"Mana…."

Allen's expression saddened, remembering the man he had considered to be a father. He remembered how calm and relaxed he would feel in Mana's embrace. Each one was considered special to him, and he had cherished them in his heart. When he was sad, when he was hurt, when he was scared, when he was cold, or even when he just felt lonely, he would feel Mana's arms around him. It was as if with each hug, the barrier he had set between him and the rest of the world would melt, and that gave him a peace-of-mind.

Allen was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a sound coming from not so far away. Trying to hide, he launched himself behind the nearest bush, slightly peeking out of it from the side. The sounds grew louder as the figure grew closer, and Allen couldn't distinguish whether it was an animal or a human until he heard angry muttering.

"Who'd be out here of all places in the middle of the night?" Allen thought, making out the silhouette of a person coming his way. Trying to conceal himself more, he stepped back to where there were more bushes. However, in doing so, he ended up putting too much pressure on his sprained ankle, causing him to fall over on his side with a slight yelp.

"Ow….." He sat up to rub his sore ankle, and realized that his cover was blown as the figure was now approaching him. He shut his eyes and leaned forward, expecting that it was a villager who had come to beat him. Instead, the figure kneeled beside him and spoke.

"Thought you looked familiar with that white hair of yours."

Allen snapped his eyes open and looked up to see red hair and an emerald-green eye, seemingly intensified by the moonlight. Surprised by the closeness of his face, Allen quickly began to scoot back, only to wince in pain as he knocked his foot on the ground. He brought his foot closer and put his arms around it.

"Are you hurt there fella?" The redhead asked, walking over and kneeling beside him with concern on his face. Allen looked up again and found himself staring at the green eye. He felt as if he was in a trance, but he quickly looked away again to answer.

"Just a little bit." He knew he couldn't lie when it was obvious that it had hurt.

"Was it from earlier?"

"….Yes," Allen replied, knowing that he was referring to the fight in the village. He didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to run off and hide somewhere until the redhead decided to leave. But, another part wanted to stay and talk a little longer, even though there could be consequences.

"I see…. Well, as long as it isn't too bad then." The redhead sat next to Allen and gave a smile. "The name's Lavi. Nice to officially meet you Allen."

Allen was caught off-guard at the use of his name and stared at the other boy.

"That is your name, right?" Lavi asked, catching Allen's confused stare.

"Y-yeah. Do you know of me?" Allen was surprised. The redhead had gone five minutes knowing who he was without throwing out insults or punches.

"Yep! Just by name though."

"Oh," he replied. "_So that's why. He doesn't _know _me yet_."

Things went silent and Allen just stared at the calm stream in front of them. He noticed at the corner of his eye how Lavi was exchanging glances between the stream and the left side of his face. Allen ignored it though, not feeling like discussing his scar or his situation. "_He'll find out later anyway."_

"Soooo what brings you out here," Lavi asked, breaking the uncomfortably awkward silence.

"I should ask you the same."

"I asked first though." Allen turned and saw the redhead grinning at him, and sighed before answering.

"I live here." Lavi's face changed into that of shock.

"Really! How? Where?" He then noticed the small cabin that was behind them, and stood to get a better look at it. "But why out here? Ain't it hard? Why don't you just stay in the village? How long have you been out here?" Lavi bombarded the boy with questions, but he only answered with one word.

"….Circumstances."

Lavi looked down to see the boy resting his chin on his knees with a far-away look on his face. He didn't push the questions any longer, seeing as how the boy probably wouldn't answer. He caught him staring and looked up, a questioning look on his face.

"So why are you out here in the first place? Did you need anything?"

Lavi sat down and brought out a list from his pocket. "You see, I recently moved in with my gramps who lives here since my dad just died, and I'm not old enough to be by myself."

"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Nah, it's okay. Well, anyway, being the grumpy panda that he is, he gave me work the minute I walked through the door, so I'm here trying to find some ingredients for his medicines and whatnot."

"I see. Maybe I could help. I should know the area well enough to find things." He took the list from Lavi and scanned the contents. As he did though, Lavi took notice of the boy's left hand. He found himself staring. "_What the hell?" _He quickly regained composure when the other boy spoke.

"Actually I have most of these things. The rest you should found out back."

"O-oh really?" Lavi inwardly slapped himself for stuttering, but the boy didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah! Usually when I walk around, I like to pick up things that I find interesting. I could give them to you." Allen looked up and gave him a smile.

"Yeah, that'd be a great help! Thanks buddy!" Lavi grinned back and stood up, helping the other boy to his feet. Allen was still slightly limping as they walked towards his home, but it wasn't in that much pain.

After he helped Lavi get all of the ingredients, they stood outside of the cabin.

"Thanks for helping me out there. Knowing me, I'd be here till morning at the earliest," Lavi said with a grin.

"No problem. I guess it's kinda my way of saying thank you, you know, for helping me out earlier," Allen replied with a shy smile and scratched the back of his head.

Lavi just smiled back and put his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Well that's what friends are for, right buddy? No need to worry about those guys anymore as long as I'm around!"

Allen was shocked. "_Did he just say 'friends'?" _

"I should get going before Gramps gets pissed that I'm gone too long. I'll see you around!" And with that, he took off towards the village, glancing back to give another smile.

Allen stood there and watched Lavi's retreating back. He found himself wanting to run after him and follow, remembering that time when he first met Mana. Lavi had called him a friend, and he was filled with a happiness that hadn't surfaced for years. But he rid his head of the thoughts. "_He'll change. They all do. They're all the same."_

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Lavi was walking towards the village, thinking about his encounter with the strange white-haired boy. He was very curious about him, and wanted to find out more. He didn't want to ask the boy directly though, since he seemed to not want to talk about it. As he entered the village, he tried to piece things together. To him, Allen was just a lonely kid caught in the middle of back luck, remembering how secluded the boy was and how he was treated by other people. His thoughts drifted to the boy's scar and left arm, and that far-away look on his face when he had asked why he lived out there alone. He then remembered when the boy had smiled at him. It looked strained, as if he wasn't used to smiling, but a smile definitely suited his face. Lavi felt a small urge of wanting to see the boy again. He was drawn in by the sense of mystery around this white-haired Allen.

He stopped in front of his front door and smiled. Maybe living here wouldn't be too bad.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Okay, I tried to make it so that Lavi didn't have that overwhelming feeling of wanting to protect the boy, even though they've just met like twice so far. His feelings of brotherly affection and protection will gradually build as the story goes on. I'm not going to have them end up being like lovers in this story, but I have nothing against Laven. In fact, I'm a HUGE fan of Laven! I just wanted this to focus on brotherly friendship and whatnot. I MIGHT change my mind, but that chance is very slim. Well, anyway, I wasn't too proud of this chapter, but I just kept rewriting it and rewriting it and got tired of it, so this is the best I could do. I hope the quality of my next chapter will be better. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello there! So here's chapter 5 of Misfortunate Trials! Once again, I am sorry that it was late. Lots of homework again. Oh, and just so you know, Nalei isn't an OC. He was actually in an episode of the anime, but wasn't in the manga. He was Allen's friend he made in India. With that said, I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own –Man in any way, shape, or form.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Allen ventured into his cabin, suddenly tired again after his encounter with Lavi. Once inside, he strode over to his bed, lying on his side to face the wall. Closing his eyes in hopes of sleep, he sighed and brought his knees to his chest for more warmth. His mind was too active though, preventing him from the rest he so desperately wanted.

A lot seemed to have happened that day, all revolving around Lavi, whom he just met. That blazing red hair, that intense emerald-green eye, that look of happiness when he smiled and called _him_, the…. "demon" of the village, a friend. Allen rolled onto his back, placing his arm across his forehead and staring at the still-ruined ceiling.

Could he see a friend in that guy? Did he _want_ to believe that he could trust him?

His thoughts drifted to the only other boy he allowed himself to trust, other than Mana, during his time at Gantrik. Allen believed him to be a friend who had easily earned his trust. However, in the end, he witnessed the consequences of his simple act of befriending the boy named Nalei.

Allen was thirteen at the time, and Nalei was of the same age. Nalei had been a new resident of the village, and met Allen upon wandering the forest and finding the cabin. Allen hoped to be able to keep his first friend, so he would hide his left arm from Nalei's view. Nalei never asked any questions about Allen or what his situation was, and they became close. Became best friends. That friendship that Allen so much believed in, however, didn't last long.

_Allen awaited Nalei's arrival in front of his cabin. His sister, Mina, had died a few days before, so he'd been coming to visit him for comfort. Allen, having also experienced the death of a loved one, tried his best to aid the boy. He saw him coming his way, so he walked over to try to give a hug, only to receive a strong slap across his face. Allen rubbed his tender skin in shock, and looked up at Nalei to see a look of fierce anger on his face._

"_Na-"_

"_It's all your fault!"_

_Allen walked towards him with slight fear. "W-what do you mean?"_

_Nalei quickly grabbed his left arm, taking off the glove and pulling down the sleeve. Allen gasped and tried to pull his arm back, but to no prevail. _

"_Why is it that you never showed me this? If I'd known, Mina wouldn't have died!"_

_Allen continued trying to pull back. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes as Nalei only tightened his grip. "Nalei you're scaring me! What are you talking about?"_

_Nalei quieted his voice as he replied, anger still evident. "I overheard the villagers talking about you Allen. I heard all about you." Allen's eyes widened, letting his tears fall as Nalei continued. "Why didn't you tell me? Did you want me to go through this misery?"_

"_Nalei, I just-"_

"_Don't even speak!" Nalei harshly threw Allen towards the ground, kicking him in the side once. "You're just a monster! A demon! You pushed your misfortune onto me didn't you? If I'd known, Mina wouldn't have died when that shed collapsed! She wouldn't have been another one of your victims!" Tears were rolling down Nalei's face as he yelled at him._

_Allen buried his face on the ground, tears never stopping as Nalei continued to kick him. When he stopped, the last words he ever heard from his "friend's" mouth were, "Why are you even alive! There's nothing left for a misfortunate demon like you!" _

_And then things went black._

Allen had been shocked after that event. He hadn't even gone to the village on the day when he was supposed to pick up his necessities, since all he did was lie in bed blaming himself for everything. He slowly recovered soon after learning that Nalei left the village to live elsewhere, but the hurt was still there.

Allen felt a wetness on his cheeks and realized he was crying. He hastily wiped the tears, thoughts drifting back to Lavi. He'd only just met him, so he found it easier to think that he should just try to ignore the redhead to avoid the same thing from happening.

Still, each time he had looked into his eye, he found himself wanting to believe that Lavi would be different. He could see a truth behind that eye, much more than he'd been able to see behind Nalei's, and it comforted him. Thoughts of having a real friend who he could smile with and who wouldn't fall victim to his misfortune filled his mind. He shook his head of the thoughts.

"It's better this way," Allen told himself, closing his eyes. "That way, no one has to get hurt but me." Sleep started to catch up to him, and his expression saddened.

"After all, I am nothing but misfortunate."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Lavi entered his home, both tired and excited from his little journey in the forest. Walking in, he found his gramps sitting on the couch drinking tea.

"Hehe sorry I'm late Gramps," Lavi said, dropping off the bag of items he collected on the table.

"Actually, you are here a lot earlier than I expected."

"Really?" Lavi sat down on the chair opposite of where the old man was sitting.

"Yes. I thought that you would not be back until morning at the earliest. In fact, I didn't think that you would be able to find such rare plants."

"What!" Lavi stood up and pointed an accusing finger. "Then why the hell did you make me do it? Did you even need this stuff?"

The older man took another sip of his tea before answering with a smug look on his face. "No, I did not actually need it. I just wanted to see how far you would carry out my requests."

"What! Damn Panda! You—oof!" Lavi was cut off by a kick to the stomach, followed by a slap to the head.

"You will refer to me as Bookman or Gramps. Nothing else." Bookman sat back down and picked up his teacup to take another sip. "Did you really find all the items?"

Lavi rubbed his stomach while he sat down, still agitated by the other man's actions. "Yeah, I actually had some help."

"Help?"

"Yeah, from that Allen kid. Apparently he lives down there and had a lot of the plants."

"Is that so."

Things went silent between them before Lavi spoke again. "What's the deal with that kid anyways? He seems to be a strange one. And why doesn't he just stay in the village instead of all the way out in the forest?"

Bookman set his cup down and stood. "Like I have said before, do not bother yourself with that boy."

Lavi was confused. "Can't you at least tell me why? He doesn't seem like such a bad kid."

Bookman sternly stared at the redhead before sitting back down. He picked his teacup back up and waited a few moments before replying. "Very well then."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

I didn't really like this chapter all that much. I've been just kind of making things up along the way, since I don't really have an organized outline and such, and I was getting so irritated with rewriting this chapter so many times. *sigh* Well, like Bookman said, you're going to find out a little bit about Allen. If he told everything about him, then that would leave nothing for Lavi to find out, and that wouldn't be fun. Okay, like I said, I really have no idea where to go with this story. I have all the big events planned out and such, but I don't know how to build up to them. So I'm actually going to spend time to make an organized outline of each of the future chapters for myself so I know what will be in each chapter and how many chapters there will actually be. That way, I won't have to struggle for 6 hours on what to type about, and I'd actually get it done faster. With that said, that means that my next chapter probably won't come out for a few more days, hopefully. Well, hope you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again! So here's chapter six of Misfortunate Trials! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own –Man in any way, shape, or form.

**Special Thanks:** To NewMoonFlicker for your awesome advice and encouragement! Thank you! ^_^

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Lavi wandered aimlessly around the village, not really paying attention to his surroundings. It's not like there was much to take in anyway. All the buildings looked the same, and he felt like he was walking in a room of mirrors reflecting a single building if it weren't for the different-looking people and the occasional tree that he would come across.

It was early morning, probably around 9:00, and his panda of a grandpa was off taking care of a patient that lived in town. Lavi had awoken to a note stuck to his face from his gramps that said how he wouldn't be back until sometime in the afternoon, and how his 'idiot grandson' should make himself useful during his absence. Not really in the mood to work on his too-long to-do list, courtesy of the old man, Lavi thought a walk would be nice, despite the fact that it was too early for his liking.

Getting irritated by the recurring scenery, Lavi sighed and put his arms behind his head, continuing his stride while trying to direct his thoughts to something other than the sights. He found himself replaying the conversation he had with Gramps the night before, regarding Allen.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

_Bookman faced a curious Lavi across from him. He cleared his throat before beginning._

"_I only tell you this for the sake of knowing how this town works. I suggest you take no action regarding this information. It cannot be changed." Lavi slowly nodded, not breaking the eye contact. Bookman continued._

"_Allen Walker has not always been a lone resident of Gantrik. He wandered here with an older man, apparently his adoptive father, three years ago. The man had been quite ill, and died three days after their arrival. The boy was in obvious distress, but the residents took no pity." Lavi leaned forward on his knees and rested his chin on his hands, a look of interest on his face as Bookman went on._

"_Back then, Gantrik was never a prosperous village. There was much misery in the peoples' lives, and they believed it to be a curse. Taking notice of the boy's demonic left arm, they thought him as a sign of bad luck and misfortune brought upon them, and took immediate action." Lavi thought back to his earlier meeting with Allen, when he had first took notice of the deformity. _"So I really did see that hand of his correctly."

"_So what did they do?" Lavi asked._

"_They put him in the state that he is in now. They sent him off to live in the forest, believing in the idea that he would attract all of their own misfortunes, since he himself was in misery. They would believe in anything at that point. Like I said before, they can't kill him because doing so would also mean getting rid of their slim chance of benefitting from what they are doing. However, that doesn't refrain them from inflicting harm during the time he sets foot in the village." Lavi's eye widened slightly at the information on his new-found friend as Bookman continued._

"_Lavi, I advise you to not get involved with this boy. What's done is done, whether it's approved of or not. Find something or someone else to occupy your time." Lavi leaned back before giving an answer he thought his gramps would approve of._

"_No worries about that. I've only seen him like twice. And if that's what's going on, I'll just go along with it." Lavi gave a grin, inwardly hoping that the old man didn't catch the slight lying in his voice. "Anyway, what makes them think that this really works? Couldn't he just run away or something?"_

"_They—"_

_Before Bookman could continue, someone knocking on the door interrupted the conversation. Bookman stood up and walked towards the door to open it. Lavi turned his head around to see who it was, and saw a woman frantically telling the old man something about her daughter's fever worsening, and asking if he could do a quick check. Lavi sighed and stood up to walk to his room, taking this as a cue that their conversation was over._

_~.~.~.~.~.~.~._

Before Lavi realized it, he had unknowingly wandered to the outskirts of the village, and was now standing in front of the forest. He stood there for a few minutes under the warmth of the morning sun before making the decision to visit Allen, despite what his gramps had warned him.

"Forget what that panda said," he muttered to himself while quickening his pace. "I'll do what I want."

Yes, he had taken a liking to Allen. He didn't really care about all of that "misfortune" and "curse" stuff. When he met him the day before, he just seemed like a normal teenage boy caught up in some bad luck is all. Besides, he did tell the younger boy he'd see him around.

He began to slow down as he came across the familiar clearing. He noticed just how well-kept it was now that he had light from the sun. He came closer, searching for that familiar white hair when he heard noises from the direction of the cabin. Turning his head towards the sound, he immediately saw Allen seeming to be working on something on the roof with his back towards him.

"Oi short stuff! How's the weather up there?" Lavi yelled, grinning widely when Allen fell forward on his face with a shout due to the sudden outburst. Allen sat up rubbing his nose, and turned around, eyes widening when recognizing the redhead.

"L-Lavi?"

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here?" Allen asked, crawling towards the edge of the roof to look down at Lavi.

"I told you I'd be around. Just wanted to see how you're doin' this fine morning. Whatcha doing up there anyway?"

Allen looked back at his work before turning back to look at the redhead. "Oh. I-I'm just fixing the roof up a little. The rain from before did a little damage."

"That so? Need any help?"

"No! Ah, I mean, no thank you. I'm almost done. Just….wait a few minutes and I'll be down." Allen quickly went back to his work while Lavi shrugged and strolled over to the stream to sit, listening to the thumping sounds coming from the roof.

Allen continued his work, not really caring how well it was done due to the fact that a certain redhead was now there. _"What's he doing here? I didn't think I'd actually see him here again." _He turned his head slightly to look at Lavi. He was currently leaning back on his hands, head looking up towards his left at a tree with an intense gaze, as if he was staring at something. Allen turned back around to finish up his work.

When he was satisfied with the roof, he wiped the sheen of sweat on his forehead with his sleeved arm before standing. Lavi, taking notice of the movement, stood and walked towards the cabin with his arms out.

"Do you need me to catch you there? I'm a lot stronger than I look you know." Lavi gave another grin, moving his arms to signal Allen to jump. Allen gave a stunned look before turning his head away.

"Th-that's okay! I have my own way down." He proceeded to walk towards the side of the house, where different sized blocks of wood were conveniently placed along the wall, and climbed down from there. Once on the ground, he hesitated walking towards the redhead, but continued on anyway. He turned around the corner of his home to be greeted by a smiling Lavi who had his arms placed behind his head.

"Glad to see you're ankle's better," Lavi said, turning around to walk towards the stream again. Allen followed slowly behind.

"Y-yeah. It was just a small sprain." They sat down by the edge of the steam, just like they did the night before. Allen tried to appear calm during their silence, but inside, he was panicking on what to do. He was sitting next to some guy he just met who already considered him a friend. He didn't know whether to be happy or scared. It was too late to ignore him, like he originally planned to do, so he broke the silence between them.

"Not to be rude or anything, but really, why are you here?" They turned to look at each other as Lavi answered.

"Well, Panda has a whole bunch of work for me to do, but he's not home at the moment so I went out for a walk. I found myself here and felt like talking to you again." Lavi gave a smile and Allen felt a hint of happiness at the concept of someone wanting to be with him, but he quickly pushed it aside, fully knowing the consequences of what could happen.

"Panda?"

"Oh, that's my grandpa. He looks like a panda so I call him that. He's actually called Bookman. He doesn't tell people his real name for some reason though."

"Oh." It got quiet again as Lavi looked forward at the stream, so Allen brought his legs in and rested his chin on his knees. As he did so, he suddenly realized how his left hand was in view, so he quickly reached for the gloves he kept in his back pocket. Lavi noticed the movement from the corner of his eye, understanding what Allen was trying to hide.

"You don't need to hide it you know."

Allen stopped when his glove was halfway on, and slowly looked up at the redhead. Lavi turned towards him with a small smile on his face. "Your arm, that is. You don't need to hide it from me. I won't judge."

Allen just stared wide-eyed at the other boy. Lavi continued smiling at him, so he looked at the ground, snowy bangs covering his eyes. He hesitantly pulled the glove off without looking up, afraid even though Lavi had said that it didn't matter. Once he took it off, he stretched his legs out and rested his hands on his lap, left on top of the right. He looked up at Lavi, only to see the smile still on his face.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Allen gave a confused look, mixed with something else that seemed like….relief? But then again, Lavi did seem to be an odd one.

"Y-you don't find it…..ugly?" Lavi looked shocked before answering.

"Ugly? Of course not! I think it actually looks kinda cool." As he said this, he took Allen's hand in his and started examining it. Allen quickly pulled away and cradled it against his chest. "Really?"

"Yeah! It makes you unique. That's usually what I like to look for in people, since that uniqueness makes them interesting. And you, my friend, top the list. You beat Gramps, even with his panda looks and extra toe on his right foot!" Lavi grinned and patted Allen on the back. "So no need to worry about stuff like that around me."

Allen could only stare at the smiling and accepting face of his new friend. Memories of his first meeting with Mana rushed into his head, and he couldn't help but give a small smile of relief back. He felt the emotions well up within him, so he faced the ground again, hair covering his eyes. He reached his wavering left hand out towards the older boy, continuing slowly until he grasped the sleeve of his shirt.

"What's wrong Allen? You okay?"

He couldn't find his voice, so he mouthed what he was going to say. Lavi was confused until he noticed the words that Allen was continually mouthing. Lavi gave another smile and softly ruffled the boy's hair.

_Thank you. Thank you._

_~.~.~.~.~.~.~._

Okay so I'm sorry that this was way later than I said. I've just been so busy with homework and such, so I haven't had time to really type. I'm barely done with my outline for this story too, but I wanted to get a chapter out soon, so I typed this up, and made it a little longer than usual. I like it better than the last two chapters, but I keep getting the feeling that it's a bit rushed, especially with that ending there. I just tried to think that Allen would get emotional at these kinds of things since he barely experiences them. I don't know, what do you think? And anyway, there's going to be more about Allen and stuff. I'm trying to think up more things since my original ideas seem way too simple for me now.

Well, just to let you know, I might not be able to update for a little over a week. I'm visiting a friend and staying with her for a week on Monday, so I won't be able to do any typing. I might be able to do some on the train though, since it's a long ride, but I'll probably just end up watching -Man instead. Hopefully, I'll get up another chapter before then, but probably not. So I hope you liked this chapter!

On a side note, I would've loved to jump into Lavi's arms. xDD


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, here's chapter 7! Author's Note and apology at the end.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own –Man in any way, shape, or form.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Allen was finishing up his laundry while Lavi relaxed over by the stream. He offered to help, but after their little moment, Allen wanted some time to himself to think things through, but Lavi said he didn't want to leave yet.

He was hanging up his sheets since he wasn't able to get any extras from the villagers. Not that he'd want to ask again after what happened the day before. He could slightly hear splashes of water from the stream, assuming that Lavi was attempting to skip rocks. He took a quick glance behind him to confirm it, and saw how into it he was, even though he could never get the small pebbles to bounce more than once. Allen turned back to his sheets, completing the last of the job.

He still didn't know if he could truly confide in Lavi. After the incident regarding Nalei, he didn't think he'd ever be able to. But still, Lavi seemed different, accepting him even after seeing his arm. Allen bit his bottom lip in contemplation for a few moments, and turned to walk steadily towards the redhead.

When he reached Lavi, he was leaning back on his arms and staring intently at the tree. He stood behind him for a little bit before attempting to start a conversation.

"Um, is there something wrong? You were staring at it earlier too." Lavi turned towards Allen, apparently not noticing that he had approached him.

"Oh, hey Allen! Look up there." Lavi pointed up to a spot in the middle of the tree, where a golden bird was resting. It was bigger than average, with tail feathers the color of sand. It also had a cross-like shape on its face in the same beige color. "That's a unique-looking bird."

Allen walked towards the tree and looked up. The bird started to tweet and flew to a lower branch towards him.

"That's Timcampy."

"Timcampy?" The bird flew lower and landed on Allen's head. "It seems to like you."

"Yeah. I found him a couple years ago with a broken wing. I kind of felt bad for him, so I thought I'd try and fix him up. He's healed now, but he likes to come back and rest around here."

Lavi stood up to get a closer look at the bird, putting his hands on his hips and leaning his face towards it. Timcampy gave an angry-sounding squawk and pecked him on his eyepatch.

"Ah!" Lavi took a step back while putting his hand over the patch. The bird flew back towards the top of the tree and settled there, as if it felt accomplished. Allen panicked.

"I-I'm so sorry! He was just scared! I'm sorry!" He continued rambling on like that while waving his hands in front of him. Lavi stepped forward and put his arm on Allen's shoulder. He flinched at the contact and shut his eyes, keeping his head down. He opened them and looked back up when he heard the redhead chuckle and pat him.

"It's okay. It didn't even hurt." He pointed at his covered eye. "This is some thick material anyway. I was just surprised." They both looked up when they heard another angry squawk from Timcampy. "Heh, I guess it's safe to say that he doesn't like me. Probably protective of you or something."

"What makes you say that?" Lavi looked back forward and put his arms behind his head.

"Well, you saved him, so he's probably returning the favor."

"Really?"

"Yeah, that must be it 'cuz, I mean, who wouldn't like me." He grinned while giving a double thumbs-up. Another squawk was heard as if in objection to his statement. He childishly pouted towards the bird, but to his delight, he was able to hear a small laugh come from Allen. "Hey, I got you to smile!"

Allen put his hand over his mouth, his expression changing to that of confusion. Lavi caught on and continued. "Well, you always seem to be so tense and down. You gotta relax a little; let loose ya know."

With that said, he ran towards the stream, scooped some water in his hands, and flung it towards Allen. Allen brought his arms up to cover his face, but couldn't avoid getting splattered by the droplets.

"Hey, what was that for? It's cold!" Allen tried to give a weak glare from behind his raised arms, but it came out as a pout instead.

Lavi laughed at his expression. "Awww look at you, trying to be all intimidating. You're such a child. How old are you anyway? 13? 14?"

Allen looked insulted as he brought his arms straight down to his sides and stood taller. "I am not a child. I'm 15 years old!"

Lavi was genuinely surprised at this. "Seriously? But you're so small. You're almost like—like a beansprout."

At this, Allen felt an irritation rise up that he didn't know he had, and rushed to the stream to also throw water at Lavi. However, as he bent over, he ended up falling into the stream with a big splash. When he brought his head above the water, he saw Lavi walking over heartily laughing.

"You're a funny little dude aren't you?" Lavi crouched down to Allen's level and grinned down at him. In an act of childish annoyance, Allen found himself pulling on Lavi's arm, dragging him into the cold water with him.

Lavi resurfaced beside Allen, coughing and spluttering. Allen smiled in amusement at that, but when he registered what he had just done, he started to fear that Lavi would get angry with him. He started backing away slowly, looking to avoid any form of rage that he was sure would come. But, Lavi just turned his way and smiled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Hehe I guess I deserved that, huh?" Lavi then laughed, earning a look of surprise from Allen. Lavi just continued to laugh, splashing water in Allen's direction, and pretty soon, Allen's fears were pushed aside and he found himself laughing too.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

When Lavi had left, it was still early afternoon. After their little water fight, he told Allen that he had to go and finish up the list that his gramps left for him, but told him that he'd come back again soon.

It had only been a few days since they first met, but Lavi found that he really did enjoy his company.

He arrived home with his clothes still wet and to a less-than-happy old man.

"And where, pray tell, have you been? And why are you dripping on my floor?"

Bookman was sitting on his couch drinking tea and working on what looked like to be some sort of documents when Lavi came in. Lavi went into the next room to grab a towel before answering. "Just thought I'd take a walk. Get to know the neighborhood and stuff, ya know." He started to dry his hair and tried ridding his clothes of any excess water. "And I accidently pissed off this lady at the market, so she threw a bucket of water at me."

"Mmm-hm…" Lavi knew that Bookman was probably skeptical of his vague and untrue answer, but if he was, he didn't pursue his suspicions with any other questions.

"So I take it that you haven't done any of the duties I left you with?"

With that said, Lavi finished drying himself off as best as he could and walked towards his room as he tossed the towel to the side, where it conveniently landed over Bookman's face.

"Not at all." The answer was followed by the sound of a shutting door, and Bookman was met with silence.

"Brat."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**A/N: **After about 2 and a half months, I finally updated! Hooray for me! I know I said that I would have this up a week after I put up the previous chapter, but after my trip to my friend's house, I've just been so busy. To tell you the truth, I had the first half of this chapter done on the train when coming back home, but I've never found time to finish it. School is just taking over my life, but it doesn't mean that I'll stop this story. I really would hate leaving it unfinished, seeing as how it's my first story. It will just take me a little longer than I originally thought, but I'll try to keep the gap between chapters at a maximum of 3 weeks.

So why was I able to post another chapter? Well, first of all, I'd like to thank **NewMoonFlicker** for giving me the encouragement I needed. I had actually been getting tired of this story, but my interest and determination have been renewed thanks to your brief message ^-^ Also, this is one of the first weekends in a while where I have nothing to do since it's between terms right now. I thought it'd be a good time to get back on this story again. So there you have it!

And regarding the chapter, it's not the best, and not much really happened, but it's something to help me get started. The plot should get going pretty soon, maybe in a few more chapters.

I hope to be able to update real soon. Reviews will help with that *wink wink*


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